News Roundup 04/17/19
1. Tribute & Criticism Rings Across France
On Monday, April 16th, Notre Dame caught ablaze and today cathedrals and churches all across France rang bells in honor of the burned building. Now, two days later, nearly $1 billion has been pledged in the reconstruction of the cathedral. Owners of L'Oreal, Chanel, and Dior are apart of the pledgers to reconstruct the cathedral. Criticism has been made towards the amount of money pledged in such a short amount of time, saying that the money could be of better use elsewhere. The nearly $1 billion that was collected could be used to help smaller churches of France or workers.
2. Asylum Seekers Could Be Held Indefinitely
On Tuesday, Attorney General William Barr declared that asylum seekers cannot be released on bond, a switch on a previous ruling, now stating that immigrants could be held indefinitely. Many have already addressed a concern, stating that this declaration is unfair to those seeking safety. "Basically if you pass the initial asylum screening you can now be indefinitely detained," said immigration attorney Eileen Blessinger. The ruling does not take effect for 90 days and the groups that have expressed concern promised legal action. The number of asylum seekers has gone up to about 92,000 arrests compared to 37,390.
3. Suspect Who Made Threats to Columbine, Found Dead
Sol Pais, a Florida high school student, was found dead Wednesday morning at the base of Mount Evans in Colorado. Pais, 18, caused at 19 school districts to be closed because of the threat. The school districts ordered all students and workers to stay home from school to be safe. School officials took extra caution to make sure everyone stayed safe. Authorities are unaware of why Pais bought a firearm and issued a threat. Back at her Florida high school, her classmates were stunned by her actions. "It's just kinda crazy -- she's so close to me, sitting next to me, and she's making these threats across the country," 17-year-old Drew Burnstine stated.
4. Notre-Dame Fire Helps Black Churches Destroyed By Arson
Shortly after the fire of Notre-Dame on Monday, there were massive amounts of funding raised for the reconstruction of the cathedral. The $1 billion that was raised prompted criticism, but also spiked conversation about the smaller churches that were in desperate need of funding. Three churches in Louisiana received $1.2 million from a crowdfunding campaign after the Notre-Dame fire sparked conversation. Someone from the campaign stated that they received donations from all 50 states as of today. The numbers continue to crawl upwards and the spokesmen for the churches have expressed tremendous gratitude.
5. 118 Million People at Risk of Severe Storms
Last week, storms killed 9 people and the weather is supposed to return Wednesday-Friday of this week. "We expect numerous thunderstorms to develop in the Plains, Midwest and South starting Wednesday, spreading eastward Thursday and Friday," said the Weather Channel. Those who were affected by the past storm are at risk again. Accuweather reported that thunderstorms and tornados will hit Illinois to the costa of Louisiana and Mississippi. The Carolinas will also experience tornados and hail storms. The storms are likely to extend North-East and to the coasts of Georgia and Florida into Friday evening.